The rumour was that Benedict XVI had been spotted on a sidewalk in the Bronx, miles from his official route: a miraculous apparition, perhaps, or an unprecedented change to his normally iron-clad itinerary. In fact, it was neither, but such was the mania gripping New York as the Pope's visit to America reached its emotional culmination that at least one busload of visitors erroneously mobbed what turned out to be a life-sized cardboard cut-out, propped in front of the Mount Carmel Catholic Bookshop on 187th Street. "We had him custom-made, and we must have had 30 offers to purchase him over the last month," said Richard Janniello, a volunteer manager at the store, which had just sold out of its flagship memorabilia item: small cushions bearing an image of the pontiff and stuffed with French lavender. "We called it Pope Pourri," Janniello said. "That was just a little marketing thing."

If things were at a high pitch in the Bronx, they bordered on hysteria in Manhattan, where the real-life Pope spent the final part of his six-day trip to the United States greeting ecstatic crowds lining Fifth Avenue, celebrating mass at Yankee stadium, and posing extensive security and traffic-management headaches in the process. "New York Goes Papal!" was how the banner on one church summed up the citywide situation, and it certainly didn't seem as if having even vaguely Catholic beliefs was a precondition for joining the party.

The weekend festivities paused only once, early yesterday, as the pontiff made his way by limousine to the site of the former World Trade Centre. There, in the morning chill, construction work was halted while Benedict prayed for the victims of the September 11 attacks, and spoke to a handful of bereaved family members and emergency-service workers. He also prayed for the redemption of those "consumed with hatred", a reference to the hijackers that some had predicted would prove controversial.

The crowd at the barricades didn't take it that way. "He's all about hope - he's the Pope of hope," said Mary Miller, from Staten Island, "and this is all about healing." Soon after, he headed for Yankee stadium, and was due to return to Rome overnight, at the end of a visit notable for the attention he paid to the abuse scandals in the American church, including a private meeting with some of the victims.

More than 55,000 Catholics were expected to attend the stadium mass. And despite numerous desperate postings on Craigslist, the classified-advertising website, they seemed to be respecting the warning from the office of the Archbishop of New York not to try to sell their free tickets, which had been distributed in strictly controlled numbers to dioceses around the region.

On Fifth Avenue on Saturday, by contrast, the spirit of capitalism seemed to be holding its own alongside the spirit of religion. The press of the crowds might have posed problems for shoppers intent on reaching the Apple Store or Bloomingdales, but countless papal souvenirs were on offer instead - many manufactured by the firm responsible for the official merchandise of the Broadway productions of Spamalot, Mamma Mia and A Chorus Line.

Earlier, in Washington DC, a subway advertisement showing a "bobblehead" doll of the Pope had been withdrawn, following protests. But "I [heart] Benedict XVI" bumper-stickers went down well. "I'm feeling Catholic today!" one seller chanted, in an effort to endear himself to potential buyers of his Benedict flags, which he described as "history on a stick".

The Pope's German nationality added another layer of meaning to the visit in Yorkville, the traditionally German neighbourhood where he stayed. "I was asked if I was doing anything special for the Pope," said Ralph Schaller, of the historic butcher's shop Schaller & Weber. "I was just kidding around, but I said, well, I haven't made a Popewurst yet. So then I figured I might as well make one. It's bratwurst, pork from Germany, mixed with weisswurst, which has veal in it, so it's creamier." The senior priests of Yorkville's Catholic church had stopped by to give it their approval, he stressed. "They said: 'This is delicious'!"

Back on the street, curious tourists mingled with the devout, and many seemed to combine both urges. "He's the closest thing to God!" said Jo-Ellen Van Nostrand, from Long Island. "That's why I'm here. For the stories you can tell. I want to be able to say I was here." "It just makes you grow your faith," added Julio Alexander, from Boston, moments before the Popemobile approached, passed, and then vanished behind hands holding cameras aloft.

Some aspects of New York life stayed the same, though. Faced with road closures throughout the city, taxi drivers still leaned on their horns and muttered sardonically to anyone who would listen. "The whole city's shut down," said one. "This guy must have connections."